Yeast Recommendations

36 posts in this topic

Long Play IPA is 1 week inn to fermenting and I am planning batch #2. My biggest problem to date is having to heat my basement bathroom to stay at or above 20c/68f. I currently have 3 refills: Canadian Blonde (bought only because I'm Canadian 😁 - actually the wife will likely prefer the bland taste 🤣),Northwest Pale Ale and Camilla's Folly. I'm a big fan of all pale ales (especially British), wheat/hefeweizen beers and IPAs. I do like a lager or pilsner once in awhile but will not buy any refills kits of this type.

Question 1: What other yeast do you recommend for most ales, pale ales and IPAs so I can ferment at lower temperatures. My basement is usually is in the 15c-18c/59f-63f range. I understand that I should stick with MB yeast strain for their Weiss Beer. I was thinking of Safbrew S33, Safale S04 or Safale US05 all in the 15c-23c/59f-75f range.

Question 2: If I ferment at the 15c-18c/59f-63f range, with a new yeast, can I also carbonate at these temperatures? Can I also bottle condition at these temperatures?

Any input or experience with other yeast strains would be much appreciated.

B

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

You can check out the Fermentis web site, it gives the temperature range for those yeasts. So check which are in range for your basement. You could also try warming the LBKs. I use an incandescent lamp. Some here use a lamp bulb with the LBK in a box. Don't need a fancy box as long as it won't catch on fire with a lamp in it. You could also use one of the thermostats talked about here to control the lamp. I don't control it but use digital vivarium thermometer ($10) to monitor it. (taped on the side with insulation over it about 1/2 way down.)

The fermentation may take longer. Probably 3 weeks is OK.

For carbonation it will take longer but if you are leaving them 3-4 months before drinking should not be a problem I think. If they are PET bottles you can squeeze & check.

The beer will taste cleaner so if you are expecting esters in the beer.it will be tough.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

How much hotter does the wort/LBK typically get compared to ambient? I may have lucked in because the first couple of days I struggled to get the room temperature to stay at 20c/68f. It ranged from 18c/64f to 20c/68f the first 48 hours.

I have a laser thermometer but it's packed away in my trailer. I do have a sticker thermometer on the way from Amazon which will hopefully give me more accurate results later.

But back to the yeast ... has anyone used these strains for my exact reason - that is to brew in a cold basement? All 3 strains (Safbrew S33, Safale S04 or Safale US05) advertise usage in the 15c-23c/59f-75f range so I thought this would be the answer.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Question 1: What other yeast do you recommend for most ales, pale ales and IPAs so I can ferment at lower temperatures. My basement is usually is in the 15c-18c/59f-63f range. I understand that I should stick with MB yeast strain for their Weiss Beer. I was thinking of Safbrew S33, Safale S04 or Safale US05 all in the 15c-23c/59f-75f range.

Question 2: If I ferment at the 15c-18c/59f-63f range, with a new yeast, can I also carbonate at these temperatures? Can I also bottle condition at these temperatures?

Blackhawks,

Welcome to the hobby and forum.

#1 It sounds as if your basement is pretty close to the same temperature range as mine. Typically in January and February my basement ambient is at 61 degrees. Year around I set my fermentation chamber at 60 for the first 48 hours and then ramp the wort temperature (measured on the outside of the carboy with a protected probe) to as high as 68 over the next several days. So for this time of year, you should be fine with US05 to ferment your APAs and IPAs just to ferment at an ambient air temp of 59 to 63. Use S04 for any English examples of these styles. Your basement probably will stay as mine does even in the summer at 68 to 70, so a cooler with ice bottles will do the trick for that time of year.

#2 As @RickBeer stated you need to get above 70 to carbonate. I have coolers set up with Xmas lights and a timer. You have to experiment with settings, but usually on for 15 minutes and off for 45 will put my beers (after 24 hours) at a temperature of somewhere in the mid 70s. If you find that the beers are too hot, increase the time the lights are off or pull some lights from the cooler. If you measure the air temperature of the cooler you will find that it has big swings from when the lights are on an when they are off, it is best to attach a probe (protected with some insulation) to a bottle and you will see that the temperature is fairly constant.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Thanks Dawg and Rick! I guess I need to do rig something more robust and accurate compared to my 600W oil-filled heater in the bathroom. I'm now a little worried about Batch #1 - Long Play IPA. 😕

But there's one thing that doesn't make sense. If US05 works great for low temperature fermenting, why would it make a difference for carbonation? The live yeast should be able to eat the bottling sugar no different than the extract sugars. I think I'll test this out if end up using US05 - bottle carbonate & bottle condition some bottles at 15c/59f and some other bottles at 21c/70f.

I really appreciate your patience and help Nick, Rick and Dawg! I'm the type person who needs to know how things work and realized there is a lot much more to it than MB's 6 step process.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Thanks Dawg and Rick! I guess I need to do rig something more robust and accurate compared to my 600W oil-filled heater in the bathroom. I'm now a little worried about Batch #1 - Long Play IPA. 😕

But there's one thing that doesn't make sense. If US05 works great for low temperature fermenting, why would it make a difference for carbonation? The live yeast should be able to eat the bottling sugar no different than the extract sugars. I think I'll test this out if end up using US05 - bottle carbonate & bottle condition some bottles at 15c/59f and some other bottles at 21c/70f.

I really appreciate your patience and help Nick, Rick and Dawg! I'm the type person who needs to know how things work and realized there is a lot much more to it than MB's 6 step process.

Thanks again and back to the drawing board for me!

B.

have you tried using the LED adhesive strips? I use them on all my carboys/buckets, etc. Mr. Beer sells them as well, helps give you an average idea where your fermenting temps are

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Yes Hoppy, the LED strips are on the way! Like I said, I've realized I need to up my game with respect to temperature control. I just did not think it was a big deal but I was wrong. I've gone from 10c/50f outside temps to -25/-13f and leaving the heater air vent open in the basement bathroom gives me too many changes in room temperature hence why I tried to control it with a little oil heater.

I got the LBK Long Play IPA kit on sale for $40 CDN so the worse that can happen is I screwed up Batch #1. But I'll be ready and more confident for Batch #2!

Thanks for your help!

B.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

I just recently purchased on ebay a $18.99 heater jacket for carboys and buckets. I have a dual temp controller, however, you can only use one temp at a time. bcuz it doesn't have separate temp screens. which isn't a huge deal. i'm trying to keep an average of 66-70 degrees F for my summer saison

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Yes Hoppy, the LED strips are on the way! Like I said, I've realized I need to up my game with respect to temperature control. I just did not think it was a big deal but I was wrong. I've gone from 10c/50f outside temps to -25/-13f and leaving the heater air vent open in the basement bathroom gives me too many changes in room temperature hence why I tried to control it with a little oil heater.

I got the LBK Long Play IPA kit on sale for $40 CDN so the worse that can happen is I screwed up Batch #1. But I'll be ready and more confident for Batch #2!

Thanks for your help!

B.

I know this may seem crazy, but have u thot about wrapping it with an electric blanket? LOL! or heating pad? both have temp controllers on them

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

Ha, I got a popup saying "You are not allowed to give reputation to this user" on Rick Beer's "like". Not sure what that is about.

If the 600W heater is used to keep the ROOM warm, then maybe, but NOT in a container with the LBK or close to it. The thermal mass of the room/air will serve to smooth out the cycles of the heater I think by adding delay into the cycle.

Again as Rick Beer says, try it with water and see how it goes.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

I am not sure what the "reputation" or "liking" thing is all about. Did I do something wrong?

Yes, the 600W heater was to keep the room warm. LBK is elevated and about 5-6 feet away. Just today I ordered a timer and warming blanket so my next batch will be much better watched and controlled - especially during the high yeast activity.

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

I am not sure what the "reputation" or "liking" thing is all about. Did I do something wrong?

Yes, the 600W heater was to keep the room warm. LBK is elevated and about 5-6 feet away. Just today I ordered a timer and warming blanket so my next batch will be much better watched and controlled - especially during the high yeast activity.

I am still hopeful the Long Play IPA turns out drinkable.

B.

Blackhawks,

You did nothing wrong. I understand you want to make good beer and believe me you will. Right now you are at the point where your first batch is fermenting and you are as worried as a new dad who just brought home his first born. It will turn out to be beer and it may or may not taste as you want it to. Remember this, it is your first batch and you have many more in your future and you will make many more mistakes along the way.

As Rick said, spend some time reading this and other forums, there is a lot of great information out there. If you notice, I have less than 300 posts to my name. The vast majority of them have been made in the past 6 to 9 months. I spent the first year and a half just lurking and gleaming all of the knowledge that was on this forum and other forums. I listen to podcasts every day on my way to and from work. This is not a hobby that you learn overnight. Be patient and listen to those of us who have been exactly where you are.

RDWHACB (relax, don't worry, have a craft beer) and soon you will be able to RDWHAHB (relax, don't worry, have a Home Brew)

Share this post

Link to post

Share on other sites

I am not sure what the "reputation" or "liking" thing is all about. Did I do something wrong?

Yes, the 600W heater was to keep the room warm. LBK is elevated and about 5-6 feet away. Just today I ordered a timer and warming blanket so my next batch will be much better watched and controlled - especially during the high yeast activity.

I am still hopeful the Long Play IPA turns out drinkable.

B.

It'll always make beer that's drinkable, unless there's a sanitation problem. My earliest batches were made with expired HME. I had no concept of temperature control; the wort probably hit 80*-82*F during high krausen. I severely over-carbed a batch. And it was all drinkable. Was it great beer? Nope, far from it. But it was okay, and still better than something like Hamm's or Mickey's Big Mouths.